HE is being tipped as the saviour of Aston Villa and the man to inject enough cash and enthusiasm into the club to make it great again.

HE is being tipped as the saviour of Aston Villa and the man to inject enough cash and enthusiasm into the club to make it great again.

United States billionaire Randy Lerner is said to be among interested parties tabling a #57million bid for the Midlands' only surviving Premiership club.

But while Villa fans may be clamouring for 82-year-old chairman Doug Ellis to hand over the reigns to a younger man, they may yet be left feeling better the devil you know.

The Birmingham Mail has done its own research into the mega-rich American, whose family founded the MBNA credit card chain and who is owner of NFL side the Cleveland Browns - the seventh richest franchise in American football.

And according to press articles on the internet, Lerner, aged 44 and the 562nd richest man in the world, is just as tough a nut to crack as the current Villa regime, perhaps even more so.

According to internet reports on the Cleveland Browns website Lerner has:

* Pulled the plug on a TV station which carried a report he did not like.

* Allegedly banned local media from the dressing room and refused access to players.

* Will not recognise fanzine websites.

* Publicly criticised fans when they make a fuss about the team's decline.

* Refused to spend money in the off-season on new offensive players.

However, other Browns fans think Lerner would be good for Villa.

One said: "I think you might actually like Lerner as an owner. He loves tradition and would not mess around with any your team may have.

"He also knows his place and doesn't get involved with anything to do with the team. He let's the people he hires do that."

Another added: "Fans of Aston Villa are naturally sceptical but they should know that Lerner brings not only experience in owning a professional sports franchise, but a lot of money as well."

In one link on the Browns site, fanzine editor Barry McBride claimed in an open letter to Lerner that the owner had to act fast to stop the club slipping into decline.

Ironically, the letter - dated at the time coach Butch Davis resigned in 2004 - mirrors the situation at Villa following the departure of David O'Leary.

In the letter, which will reverberate amongst Villa fans, McBride urged Lerner to keep the fans on side.

He said: "Our fans have a passion for the team and game that seems to be hard-wired into our DNA.

"Win or lose, Browns fans are there. It is the fans which makes the Cleveland Browns special but my message to you is very simple: You are in danger of losing us.

"Even the NFL's most passionate fans can be worn down over time. Over the past 15 years Browns fans have endured more than any pro football fan base has ever had to endure."

In another paragraph, which is also starkly similar to the situation at Villa and O'Leary's reason for his departure, McBride says coach Davis had to go "not necessarily because he was a bad coach" but because "he had lost the fans and the media".

And it seems the Cleveland Browns have also had their fair share of spats with the media just as Villa have.

McBride claimed: "You need the local media on your side as much as possible. Yes, the team will have to deal with media criticism, now and always, because it's part of the nature of the beast.

"Lighten up on the media and give them the benefit of the doubt. If you don't, you shouldn't expect them to give it to you in return."

Finally he urged Lerner to rebuild the side for the future not to keep replacing one set of coaches with another. Villa chairman Doug Ellis has been accused of having a "revolving door' policy at Villa - changing managers every three years.

Despite the love-hate relationship between Lerner and supporters of the American game, Villa fans were today preparing to welcome the billionaire and his money.

Supporters groups have so far said anyone with the money to make Villa great again and who has the interest of the club at heart should be welcomed.